The present invention relates to systems and methods that use virtual reality and/or augmented reality environments for the measurement and/or improvement of the human eye response to orientation information that comes from the vestibular system. Terms used to describe this ocular response include dynamic visual acuity (DVA), dynamic visual stability (DVS), kinetic visual acuity (KVA), ocular saccades, retinal image stability (RIS), foveal fixation stability (FFS), vestibulo-ocular reflex, and vestibular ocular reflex. This disclosure and the appended claims use VOP to designate any and all of these measures of vestibular ocular performance. In one embodiment, the present invention comprises a head-worn device for measuring and/or improving a person's VOP by:
(a) presenting visual virtual reality (VR) or augmented reality (AR) information;
(b) tracking head movement; and
(c) tracking eye movement as the visual VR or AR information is presented.
A person's ability to perform physical motion activities depends on his/her oculomotor responses when the body is in motion. The most important of these oculomotor responses is the vestibulo-ocular reflex response, which provides the person with stable images to look at while in motion. When a person does not have a normal VOR, he/she person loses performance in many functions. For example, DVA and FFS test performance deteriorates when the eyes cannot follow the motion of the head. Stated more simply, a person's ability to read while in motion degrades if the vestibulo-ocular reflex cannot compensate for the motion. This vestibulo-ocular performance (VOP) can be evaluated and measured by tracking one or both eyes and the head while a person is watching a display in an AR or VR environment. This VOR can be tested in a variety of ways using tests that can also substitute for the DVA, DVS, RIS, and FFS test methods being used in the prior art.
The vestibular system is regulated by peripheral and central components, each affecting the eye responses with head motion. There are abnormal eye movements associated with both central or peripheral vestibular system disorders. Some of the tests in the prior art and/or tests discussed in this disclosure can be more specific for determining the presence of a peripheral abnormality and some are more specific for identifying central pathology. Measurement of head and eye movements using AR/VR platforms can improve the quality of measurement, which aids the diagnosis of vestibular disorders.